Dalton Sargeant joins GMS Racing for 2018 NASCAR Trucks campaign

Former NASCAR Next class member Dalton Sargeant is set to embark on his first full-time season in a NASCAR national series.

GMS Racing announced Friday that Sargeant will compete this season in its No. 25 Chevrolet in the Camping World Truck Series and run for rookie of the year honors.

Sargeant, 19, finished second last season in the ARCA series standings, winning three races and accumulating 10 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes in 20 races and won one pole. He also competed in two Truck races, with a best finish of 17th at Phoenix.

“I’m really excited to be joining a championship-caliber team in GMS Racing for the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season,” said Sargeant. “Mike Beam and everyone at GMS Racing has put so much effort into this No. 25 team during the off-season and I can’t thank them enough for this opportunity.

“GMS Racing has put together an all-star team of people and equipment, plus had faith in me to drive and compete for wins. I’m looking forward to what we can accomplish in 2018. It’s always been a dream and a goal to compete at this level in NASCAR.

“I left a career and a life in Europe to compete against the best in NASCAR and today is that day.”

The No. 25 Chevrolet team will be led by veteran crew chief Doug Randolph, who has 17 years of experience in all three of NASCAR’s national series. In his career, Randolph has 11 wins, 75 top-five and 149 top-10 finishes, including eleven pole awards.

“I’ve watched Dalton progress in his career for a while now. He’s been impressive and won in everything he’s driven, against tough competition for years,” Randolph said. “I’ve taken a lot of pride into developing drivers over the years, and the opportunity to work with Dalton at a race team like GMS Racing is something that I’m excited to be a part of.”

Sargeant also has 18 K&N Pro Series starts across both the West and East Series with one win, two poles, 10 top-five finishes and was selected to the 2015 NASCAR Next Class, an industry initiative that showcases up-and-coming drivers.

Sargeant is scheduled to test with GMS and the Truck Series open test at Charlotte Motor Speedway later this month.